


Too Late

by Akiko_Natsuko



Series: Reaper76 [12]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ambushes and Sneak Attacks, Arguing, Choices, Established Relationship, Estrangement, Fear, M/M, Protectiveness, Resignations, TLEO anniversary, The Fall - Freeform, they loved each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-09
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-08-21 06:48:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16571696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Akiko_Natsuko/pseuds/Akiko_Natsuko
Summary: Jack has finally made his choice, thinking that he knows the risks and that he's ready for what they can throw at him. He's wrong - and it might be too late.





	Too Late

    Jack’s hands were steadier than they had been for months as he read over the letter he had just printed out, fingers lingering over the seal of the Strike Commander for a second before he set it down on the desk and reached for his pen. Endless days spent at this desk reading reports, signing his name to countless orders – signing away his life, the life of the men and women under him, it was all going to end here, with the same signature that had hurt so many. He found himself holding his breath as he scribbled his name and signed beneath it, his writing still little better than chicken-scratch even after all this time. It didn’t matter – they would know it was from him and that was all that mattered, and as he finished the little flourish at the end of his name, he felt something in his chest ease.

_Freedom._

    All it had taken was one little scribble, and he could already feel the chains around him loosening as he took a deep breath. No, it wasn’t that simple. There might have been a time when he would have believed that this was enough, that him putting his signature on the resignation was all that it would take to rid himself of the job he had never wanted, the expectations that he could never hope to live up to. Now though he knew better. He knew how the bureaucracy worked now  - the lies, the wheeling and dealing behind the scenes, and he knew that there was more than one person that was going to fight him on this. They weren’t just going to let him walk away, even if it was just to keep him around to pin everything on when the world realised that their protectors weren’t everything they were thought to be. They were going to cling to him, throw every obstacle possible into his path.

He was ready for them. _He hoped…_

     Steeling himself, he looked up, lips quirking slightly as he realised that Ana hadn’t moved at all while he worked, watching his every move with hawk-like attention. Searching for weakness, for doubt. She was the only person that knew what he had planned, and he could see her worry for him in the creases at the corner of her eyes, and the way her fingers tapped on the arm of the chair.

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“Are you sure about this?” Apparently, she had just been waiting for him to look at her, because now she was leaning forward, reaching out and brushing his hand with hers. “Jack, what you’re risking and what you’re giving up…”

“Is nothing compared to what I will lose if I don’t,” Jack cut her off with a bitter smile. _How many times are you going to choose the easy option, Strike Commander?_ Gabriel’s words echoed, and he glanced down at the piece of paper. “And what I stand to gain.” He wasn’t sure that this would be enough. Maybe he had already waited too long, maybe all of this was for nothing… but he was done taking the easy option. Finished with the man that had put that anger and bitterness into Gabriel’s voice, and he lifted his head, meeting her gaze with quiet resolve, refusing to look away. “I’m not going to change my mind.”

“I never expected you too,” Ana admitted with a sigh, but there was fondness behind the exasperation and she clasped his hand. “I just hope that it’s worth it.” _That he’s worth it._ They both heard the unspoken words, but Jack couldn’t bring himself to begrudge her doubt. After all, she had been forced to watch as they had drifted apart, letting the job and the pressures it brought to come between them, even though they had adamantly vowed that it wouldn’t. She had been there on the nights when Jack had wandered the base aimlessly, driven from their quarters by sharp words and unable to bring himself to go to his office. She had listened to Gabriel ranting and raving about the restrictions placed on him, and held him on the rare occasions when he had let himself break a little – whispering his fears and doubts about the future, about Jack…about them.

“It is.” _It has to be._

“I hope that you’re right,” Ana rose, holding out her hand. Jack took a deep breath, carefully folding the letter and slipping it into an envelope, not hesitating in the slightest as he handed it over. There was no one else he would trust to deliver it, although he had been careful to make sure that it wasn’t the only copy, refusing to let another thing get ‘lost’ in the system. “I’ll see it right into their hands,” she promised, and for the first time, she smiled as she studied him and saw the relief in his eyes. It had been hard watching the job first run him ragged and then later threaten to destroy him entirely, and as much as she feared the fallout that was going to follow, she knew that this was what he needed. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

“See you on the other side,”  Jack echoed, glancing at the clock. Ten minutes. He watched as Ana left the room. She was walking with a purpose, but the doubts, the fear that she had let him glimpse were nowhere to be seen, and he smiled slightly – not for the first time wondering what he had done to have such a woman on his side. His expression dimmed a little as he glanced at the clock again – nine minutes until show time, and for the first time, he felt his stomach churning, nerves beginning to build up in the pit of his stomach.

_I hope I’m right too…_

****

_‘In Breaking News, Jack Morrison – Hero of the Omnic Crisis and current Strike Commander of Overwatch has announced his resignation from the peacekeeping organisation. It is unclear at this stage if this is related to the accusations and rumours that have cast doubt on the integrity of Overwatch in recent months, and there is as yet no…’_

**

    Gabriel frowned as he took in the crowd forming in the atrium, wondering what the hell was going on. It was the first time he’d ventured out of his office since the previous morning, even sleeping on the small cot he’d stashed in there once the arguments with Jack had become more frequent, but he’d still been accessible – if only to stop Jack from having another reason to moan at him. But apart from the mundane messages, demands for reports to be amended, requests for him to sign off on missions, there had been nothing that could explain this level of activity.

    He also couldn’t quite put a finger on the emotion in the air. Shock – even some of the more seasoned agents, men and women who had been there from the start looked on edge, while newer ones – faces he barely recognised beyond checking them for security – were wide-eyed and distracted. Fear, not just the alarm that had been a prevailing mood for the past few weeks as Overwatch withstood one shock and then another. And then there were the whispers… He hadn’t noticed at first, something he scolded himself for now, but they were talking amongst themselves and the ones closest to him were glancing at him out of the corner of their eyes, their conversations seeming to intensify, and he scowled.

“What the hell is going on?” He muttered under his breath, not really expecting an answer as no one seemed eager to approach him.

“I take it you haven’t seen or heard the news then?” The sudden voice made him jump, one hand reaching for a weapon, while the other shot out to grab the wrist attached the hand that had just brushed the back of his arm. His fingers had just brushed metal when he realised who it was, and he froze, suddenly sheepish as he met Ana’s disapproving glare. Recalling her question, he mutely shook his head as he released her, and her expression seemed to darken. “Or spoken to Jack?” The second question was sharper, and he couldn’t stop himself from glancing away, knowing that he had just given her the answer. There was an exasperated noise, and he half expected her to walk away, but then her hand was on his arm again, only this time she was pulling, tugging him away from the milling agents, uncaring of the interest they were attracting.

       He didn’t bother struggling, knowing that it would be worse for him in the long run, and she led him out of the atrium and down into a quieter corridor, searching the rooms they passed until she found an empty meeting room. His eyebrows rose, curious as to what she wanted to say to him that needed that much privacy and hoping that didn’t mean he would need to endure her usual half answers and less than subtle prods to work it out for himself.

“Jack handed in his resignation, effective immediately.” Apparently not, because she had barely shut the door behind them, eyes roving over the room in a rudimentary sweep before she turned to face him. Surprised by the direct approach, it took him a moment to fully register what she had said and even then, it was a few seconds before he could begin to process them, his mind already frantically running over the implications of those seven words.

“He what?!” It burst out of him, louder than he had intended, but Ana was unfazed as she stared at him and there was something unsettling about her gaze. As though she could see the small part of him, the one that wasn’t Blackwatch Commander that was cheering at the news… the tiny kernel of hope that maybe, just maybe, Jack had chosen them over everything else and he scowled, refusing to look away and confirm her suspicions. “Why? Why now? Doesn’t he realise how this is going to look? Or how vulnerable it’s going to leave Overwatch…?” He trailed off, realising that he was making all the wrong arguments, spewing the words that he was expected to say and hating every one of them and he did look down now. “How vulnerable he’s going to be when he’s not protected by the title anyone…?”

    The media, the U.N., Hell even Gabriel had been pinning the blame of Jack for months, and he had taken it all and then some, but at least then he’d still had the protection of his rank, and his achievements. If he left now, he would lose all that, and the wolves would come calling if they hadn’t already. It was like a bucket of cold water had been tossed over him, and his head shot up, and this time he made no effort to hide his fear or his panic. “How long ago?”

“Pardon?”

“When did he make the announcement?” Jack must’ve gone public to prevent anyone from stopping him, that was why everyone in the atrium had been so edge. However, he wasn’t worried about them. No, he was worried about who else might have been watching or listening to that announcement, and how they were going to react. “ANA?!”

“It was on the news about an hour ago.”

 _An hour._ Gabriel cursed – he cursed the timing because he had been in a meeting then, oblivious to the outside world. He cursed Jack for plunging into this without at least warning him, even though deep inside he understood why - remembering the empty bed and the slamming of the front door all those weeks ago. And he cursed himself for not being open with Jack, for not telling him about all the secrets, the suspicions…the spies.

“Get everyone out of here,” he ordered, shaking off his shock. _It’s not too late._ It couldn’t be too late, he thought, stomach twisting itself into knots because he wasn’t sure. _One hour._ He had been on enough missions that had ended in disaster to know just how much could happen in a matter of minutes, particularly with enemies like this and his mouth was dry as he found Ana staring at him in alarm. Worried, but not yet understanding the danger they might all be in. “Ana – you need to empty the base.” He could see the questions forming now, and he flung up a hand. “We don’t have time – just, believe me, we need everyone out now.”

“Jack…”

“I’ll get him,” Gabriel promised already turning and heading for the door. _Please, don’t let me be too late…_ reaching for his communicator even as he glanced over his shoulder. “Just please…save them.” They would listen to Ana, and she could protect them where he had failed – and he could see her straightening, resolve written across her features as she reached for her own communicator and he nodded briefly. A thank you and a farewell, and then he was gone, bolting down the corridor. “Athena, where is Jack?” He demanded as he flicked the communicator open, having to raise his voice as he had just reached the end of the corridor as the alarms started blaring, and silently thanking Ana for believing him even after everything that had happened recently, he strained to hear the A.I.s response. “Athena?!” People were moving now, blocking his path – frightened, worried, but organised and in his way as he shoved his way through, heading against the flow because he just knew that Jack wasn’t going to be among them.

“The Strike Commander was summoned to an emergency meeting in the council room.”

“Who summoned him?” Gabriel demanded, the sinking feeling becoming ice in the pit of his stomach and he tried to speed up.  “Move,” he snarled at the men and women blocking his path, barely resisting the urge to pull his gun and cause more panic. “Athena, who summoned him?”

“Director Petras.”

      _Too late._ Gabriel swore, fingers fumbling as he disconnected the call and tied another number, one still imprinted on his mind even after all this time without dialling it. It rang and rang…and rang. Cursing he hung up and tried again, finally breaking free of the evacuating crowd and into an emptier corridor where he broke into a flat-out sprint, the communicator pressed to his ear. _Damn it, Jack, please…please pick up._ He was panicking now, terror that he hadn’t felt since the worst days of the Omnic Crisis driving him forwards. Director Petras was at a conference in Numbani – and there was no way he could have got here in time, and he wasn’t one for face-to-face meetings anyway, having always seemed unnerved when faced with Jack.

Which meant that Jack was walking into a trap.

 _It’s not too late._ Gabriel clung to that thought, letting himself hope in a way that he hadn’t allowed himself in ages because the alternative was too much to bear. He reached the stairs, taking them two at a time, his heart seeming to beat in time with the alarms still pulsing overhead as he tried to contact Jack again and again. “Damn it, Jack, what are…?” He didn’t get to finish the question. He’d barely made it onto the floor where the council room was when the entire base seemed to shudder, and he stumbled, colliding with the wall and dropping the communicator. In some distant part of his mind, he was aware of screaming in the distance, and the familiar muffled booms moving through the building towards him, but everything had slowed around him, narrowing down to the doors at the end of the corridor. “JACK!” He lunged forwards, abandoning the communicator and whispering a prayer to a God that he was no longer sure he believed in.

     He was halfway there. Almost in time…when the world erupted around him, and Jack’s name was still on his lips as the floor disappeared beneath him. Then he was falling. Free-falling through flame and smoke, his hand outstretched, still reaching for Jack even as he fell…

_I was too late…_


End file.
